the arugula files

Brunch at La Strada "On the Avenue"

Recently, my friends all had babies.  All at once.  This is nice because I love babies.  (If you do too, you should watch this trailer for an upcoming documentary on...BABIES!)  Anyway, because my friends with babies are members of the Del Ray Club, and babies require being close to home, on Sundays Marcus and I typically head across the bridge for brunch on "the Avenue," which is a patently absurd way to refer to Mount Vernon Ave. 

In spite of overzealous branding projects, there are lots of good dining options in Del Ray, and northern Virginia in general.  Recently, we had brunch at La Strada in Del Ray, which features a semi-private communal table at the front of the restaurant making it a great brunch place for kids (or a great place for birthday celebrations with friends). 

Affordable Luxury: Lunch at Bourbon Steak

 

Most days I eat lunch at my desk. Leftovers or sandwich when I'm organized, a quick salad or tacos when finding some thing to wear and making lunch in the morning seems like passing health care reform. Recently I was invited by Bourbon Steak to try out the new lunch bar menu. (Yes, I'm wicked lucky). Given the fact that I don't often have business lunches at luxurious spots around town, I wasn't sure what to expect. And, I'll be honest, I was thinking, it's a recession: oh my. Instead, what I found was true foodie bargain.

Find a bar stool and order the lunch special.  For $21 bucks you get a non-alcoholic drink (try the very retro and very delicious concord grape soda), a burger of your choice (beef, turkey, falafel, salmon, or boneless baby back pork ribs), a side (duck fat fries, onion rings, or mixed greens), and, if you are interested, lively conversation about seasonal drinks with Duane the mixologist on the bar. 

A Delicious Burger in Dupont Circle, Finally (The BGR Joint)

 

Resisting the temptation to eat cheeseburgers used to be easy in Dupont Circle for one simple reason: there weren't any worth craving.  That all changed when The BGR Joint opened their doors last week.  Now, I have to pass by BGR every night on my walk home from work.  Oh. Dear. 

Friday night Marcus and I gave BGR a try.  My burger choice, the Wellington, came perfectly cooked to my liking (medium rare), and covered in earthy mushrooms, mixed with a hint of blue cheese and caramelized onions.  The burger was tucked in a buttery brioche bun, and each bite delivered juicy, fatty goodness. 

I could be happy with burgers alone at BGR, but then they had to go and make some of the most delicious fries I've had from a "fast food" place.   Starchy, crispy, and salty is the holy trinity when it comes to fries and BGR has it down.  Attention french fry lovers: a pilgrimage is in order.  Make a trip to BGR and order the thick ones.  I ordered mine plain, but I'm intrigued with the notion of adding garlic or rosemary for 49 cents.

Ray's the Steaks, Way Better than...

What?  You think I don't eat steak—that I only eat arugula around here?  No way.  I love a juicy steak as much as the next lady.  Usually, about once a month I start craving a medium rare steak topped with au poivre sauce.   When I crave steak, I only go to one place: Ray's (in Silver Spring or Arlington).

Michael Landrum, the mastermind behind Ray’s, gets more local press than Lindsey Lohan, so what can I say about Ray's that local food critics haven’t already written?  Should I talk about Landrum’s crab bisque, a soup so complex I need a Ph.D. in flavor to understand the formula?  Perhaps I should write about how when Marcus orders his steak "well done" the waiters at Ray’s refrain from giving him dirty looks.  I appreciate that (and he does too).  If I’m being really honest, I could write about how I think the corn-fed steak served at Ray's tastes way better than any grass-fed steak I've tasted, and, while I feel guilty about wanting it, I'm not going to stop eating it, even if the Food Inc. crowd is judging me.  STOP JUDGING ME. I only eat steak once a month.  I swear.  Did I mention the price for a dinner at Ray's?  A steak costs around $28 bucks and comes with creamy mashed potatoes and creamier spinach.  Most steak houses (those who shall not be named) charge a whopping $9 bucks for plates of bland potatoes and watery spinach. 

So what can I say about Ray's that hasn't already been written?  Not much.  Bottom line: Ray’s the Steaks (and Ray's Classics), way better than any steak house in DC.

Summer Drinks around DC

Damn, it's hot out.  Drinks are in order, and I've had a few tasty ones this summer.  Here're a few places to head for after work:

It's not exactly outdoor patio weather, but, if you dare to venture to a restaurant with outside seating, Rockland's BBQ has refreshing, fruity mason jar cocktails.  At a recent blogger party, I tried the icy peach tea (vodka, peach schnapps, sprite, and cranberry juice) with some tasty BBQ pork egg rolls. 

If you need air conditioning, I had the best drink of my life (not hyperbole) at Firefly.  It was a martini caprese made from basil infused vodka and tomato water.  It tasted like a giant tomato salad THAT YOU DRINK.  Way better and lighter than a bloody mary.  Shimmy up to the bar, order this cocktail and a plate of mac and cheese.  You can thank me later. 

Looking for a bargain? Try my favorite DC happy hour: Taberna del Alabardero, a spanish tapas restaurant downtown.  You can sit inside at the bar or on the outside patio; either way, Taberna offers 50 percent off tapas (try the artichokes, chorizo, and garlic shrimp) and sangria pitchers.  I like the blond version best.

It's a long haul up the hill, but if you walk up 18th street you'll soon come to my favorite bar: the Black Squirrel.  Try the white ale and order a plate of organic fried chicken.

Had a great summer drink?  Tell us where in the comments.

Sweet Green: I Like Your Style

Sweet Green is a welcome change in a city crowded with unimaginative, tasteless salad bars that serve low-quality ingredients, like iceberg lettuce and gluey lo mein, both serious detours to healthy eating.  You know exactly what I'm talking about because those "salad /hot food bar" places are ubiquitous in DC.

Sweet Green offers a number of signature salads that will make your stomach do the Safety Dance.  My favorite combination, however, is my own creation: arugula and romaine with edamame, carrots, gorgonzola, craisins, and walnuts with white balsamic orange zest dressing. This salad not only makes you want to eat a salad; it makes you crave salad.  

Jerry Sandwiches or Why Twitter Really is a Valuable Tool Beyond Starting Revolutions

Admittedly, I used to think that Twitter was silly. I joined the site to take it for a test ride; to see how handled.  Would it feel like I was was driving around in a clown car, looking absurd, not fitting in, adults feeling annoyed by my childish antics?  Or would it feel like I was behind the wheel of an ice cream truck, with people running to greet me, handing me money, and, generally, going crazy when they heard my tweet, er, bell.  Turns out, it feels like neither.  Twitter is akin to driving a scooter: people may think you are a poseur (with your absurd goggles, scarf tied around your neck, and cat in the front basket), but you don't really care because tweeting around town feels great, and, much like a scooter, it can be practical.  Like you could start a revolution.  

Cava Mezze's Harissa

Mediocre restaurants used to litter the streets of Capitol Hill.  They still do, in fact.  What has changed during the past decade is the addition of neighborhood eateries that offer memorable dishes, served in pleasant surroundings.  Cava Mezze, a Greek tapas restaurant that started in Rockville, is among the newest spots on 8th Street, an area, I might note, that was once a good food desert, but now has more tasty high-end restaurants than fast food joints.

I ate at Cava Mezza a couple months ago, splitting a few small plates (saganaki, hummus, baked shrimp, and calamari) with a friend.  The dish that keeps coming back to me is one that we did not order.  Before the meal, our waiter dropped off a small plate of harissa and pita.  Zoinks!  The plate was an outstanding stand-in for typical bread and butter basket, and this particular harissa was like none I had tried before.  Cava's harissa, made from tomatoes and peppers, is mild, with a spicy bite layered with olive oil. I'm now a junkie, a harrissahead, desperately in need of treatment, who spends a lot of time thinking about how to get my next fix.  It's that good.